This second round of Arts Grants for the year included significant funding for regional and community arts activity. Theatre company Winning Productions will be funded for a premiere season of The Floating Theatre in Auckland, Hamilton and Whangarei while Barbarian Productions will mount a local version of its Sing It To My Facemusic theatre project for the Nelson Arts Festival. More than $230,000 was allocated towards festivals throughout New Zealand, mainly towards the development of new work.

Arts projects involving children and young people were also funded with grants towards touring shows, writing workshops and book publication. The Youth Performance Trust received support towards a new music and dance event, Matariki Rhythmz to showcase Pasifika and Māori youth talent and Tim Bray Productions will take theatre adaptation of Margaret Mahy’s A Lion in the Meadow and Other Stories on tour to Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Whangarei , Tauranga and Hamilton.

A number of grants will assist artists to take work to international biennial and exhibition events or help to fund residencies, research or international performance opportunities. On the back of recent festival performances in New Zealand, Dunedin rock band, The Chills, has been given a grant towards an upcoming tour to the UK and the USA, while Courtney Meredith will particpate in the 2016 Fall Residency at the International Writing Programme in Iowa and visual artists Kathy Barry and Luke Willis Thompson will participate in the 32nd Bienal de São Paulo.

A feature of this round was the awarding of several special scholarships and bursaries:

Arts Grant applications are assessed by both Creative New Zealand staff and external assessors. Recommendations are made to the Senior Manager, Arts Funding and the Chief Executive for final decisions and ratification.